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REFERENCE TITLE: medical board; case reviews |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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HB 2687 |
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Introduced by Representative Heap
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AN ACT
Amending title 32, chapter 13, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 32-1409; relating to the ARizona medical board.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 32, chapter 13, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 32-1409, to read:
32-1409. Board review; medical care cases; health professionals; definitions
A. The board may conduct a review of medical care cases that involve a patient who experienced a life-threatening complication or death while being treated by any health professional. The board shall accept requests from the public to review a person's medical care case that resulted in a life-threatening complication or death while being treated by a health professional.
B. Before initiating a review, the executive director of the board shall provide a summary of the medical care case review request to the board. The board shall vote to determine whether a review should be initiated.
C. If a majority of the Arizona medical board votes to conduct a review of the medical care case in question, the health profession regulatory board responsible for licensing the health professional involved in the medical care case shall be notified and shall transmit all materials, findings and conclusions, if applicable, to the Arizona medical board for review by the Arizona medical board and its staff. The Arizona medical board shall accept materials from the public, including records, testimony and findings, to assist in the review of the medical care case.
D. If the Arizona medical board review determines that the health professional engaged in unprofessional conduct or provided incompetent medical care that resulted in a person's life-threatening complication or death, the Arizona medical board shall transmit that finding to the health profession regulatory board responsible for regulating the health professional whose actions are the subject of the review. The Arizona medical board shall transmit all materials, findings, testimony and conclusions regarding the health professional and may provide regulatory recommendation to the health profession regulatory board.
E. If the Arizona medical board review determines that the health professional's health profession regulatory board has erred in its investigation or has not undertaken proper regulation of the health professional and that this lack of regulation could result in future harm for patients, the Arizona medical board shall transmit these findings to the health profession regulatory board in question and shall submit a summary of conclusions that does not include any personal identifying information of the patient to the chairpersons of the house of representatives and senate health and human services committees, or their successor committees, and the governor.
F. This section does not authorize the board to discipline other health professionals that are not licensed and regulated by the board.
G. A board review is not an investigation for licensure purposes.
H. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Health professional" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-3201.
2. "Health profession regulatory board" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-3201.